>Step by step
1. Four from the (noise) floor
1 We will be starting with a blank slate, so hit the New button in the upper-left to clear the rack. Obviously, we’ll need the Noise Generator, so find it in the browser and add it, along with an Amplifier. Run a cable from the Noise Generator’s White Noise output to the Amplifier’s Input. Route the Amplifier’s + Output up to the Main Outs 1L(M) jack.
2 Now, slowly bring up the Amplifier’s Gain level to hear white noise. Drag a cable from the White Noise down to the Pink Noise output and bring up the Amplifier’s Gain. It sounds duller (see why on the opposite page). Bring the Amplifier’s Gain back down. Let’s add a Filter module from the browser, between the Noise Generator and the Amplifier.
3 Disconnect the Noise Generator from the Amplifier’s Input and move it over to the Filter’s Audio In. Run a cable from the Filter’s Low Pass Output (on the lowerleft) to the Amplifier’s Input. Bring the Amplifier’s Gain up to hear the sound. Now, slowly turn the FIlter’s Cutoff. As you can hear, this provides an approximation of surf.
4 Now let’s try making some percussion sounds. We’ll need control over the dynamics. If you haven’t done so, bring the Amplifier’s Gain back down to nil. Now, add an Envelope Generator from the Library. Place it to the left of the Amplifier. Find the CV Sources panel in the upper-left. Run a cable from its Gate Out to the Envelope’s Gate In.
5 Next, run a cable from the Envelope Generator’s Positive Output to the Amplifier’s CV Amount jack, noting that that knob is already on full. Now use incoming MIDI notes to trigger the sound and control the amplitude. Crank the Filter’s Cutoff fully clockwise and play notes. Sounds dull, so switch the Noise Generator’s Output from Pink to White.
6 The sound is still quite static. It’s time to use the Envelope Generator to do a bit of gain-shaping. Reduce its S (for sustain) slider to nil. Now, push the D (for Decay) slider up to around 500ms, and the R (for Release) slider to 1000ms. Now, triggering our sound provides a nice, percussive timbre, not unlike that of a snare drum or open hi-hat.
7 At this point, our Filter is just sitting around doing nothing. Let’s get it in on the action. Go ahead and reduce its Cutoff knob to 2500Hz. This only dulls the sound, not really adding much to it. However, we use another Envelope Generator to add some excitement. Grab one from the Library and put it to the left of the Filter.
8 As we did before, we’ll connect the CV Sources’ Gate jack to our new Envelope Generator’s Gate In patch point so that we can trigger the envelope with incoming notes. Route the new Envelope Generator’s Positive Output to the Filter’s Freq Mod 1 Input and set the Freq Mod 1’s Amount knob to 75% or so. The sound is brighter, but still static.
9 Set the new Envelope Generator’s Decay slider to around 300ms, and its Sustain slider to about 14%. Crank the Release’s value up beyond that of our first Envelope Generator. Our second envelope causes the Filter to open up immediately, then rapidly close down nearly to nil, providing a more lively tonal character, not unlike that of a snare.
10 We’ve made some neat patches, but there’s one classic we’ve not yet tackled, and we can manage it with only a single cable and a few tweaks. Yes, it’s the once-popular ‘tuned noise’ patch as used by Wendy Carlos, Mort Garson and other pioneers. Start by running a cable from the CV Sources Pitch jack to our Filter’s Freq Mod 2 Input.
11 Normally, that Pitch jack is used to send 1V per Octave signals (or the virtual equivalent) from incoming MIDI notes to an oscillator, allowing for 12-tone musical performance. Here, it’ll be used to increasingly open the Filter Cutoff as we play up our keyboard. Crank the Freq Mod 2 knob fully clockwise and play a few notes from the bottom of the key range to see.
12 Turn the Filter’s Cutoff down to 310Hz, and the Resonance up to around 65%. Now, go back to the Envelope Generator controlling the Filter Cutoff and nudge its Decay slider to, oh, 7ms for a snappier tone. Try playing some notes across the keyboard range. Ah yes, that’s the sound! Try adding a Delay or Spring Reverb for added flavour.